Color printing press



1943. cs. DARENBERG ET AL 2,334,909

COLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Feb. 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1NVENTOR5= GEORGE MRENBEEG BY DOA/HLD SHE/=7 04/ ATTORNEY.

1943. G. DARENBERG ET AL COLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Feb. 4, 1942 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS, /V R6 EORGE 17/7/95 55 BY DOA/4L9 517% Patented Nov. 23, 1943 COLOR PRINTING PRESS George Darenberg and Donald Shea, Freeport, N. Y.

Application February 4, 1942, Serial No. 429,490

7 Claims.

This invention relates to printing on fabrics and in particular to a device for facilitating the printing in colors as well as the supplying of the colored printing mediums to the device without interrupting the press operation.

In the fabric printing art, in one method of printing multicolored ornamentation on one side of a web of fabric, a fiber stencil is cut and then shaped cylindrically and mounted in a press to coact with a, press roller to print on the fabric at relatively high speed. To supply ink of different colors to the interior side of the stencil so that it will pass through the stencil openings to print on the fabric we have provided a novel ink or color holder which is in contact with the stencil to print through the openings thereof and to which the various colors are supplied by a unit including a series of loading ladles, the unit being filled outside the press and then inserted in such a manner that the ladles can be dumped to pour the colors into the proper color compartment of the color or ink holder. While we are aware that devices have been made for the purpose of supplying colors to a dispenser, it has been necessary in the use of stencils, where the color dispenser is located inside the stencil, to stop the press while the dispenser is loaded and as this may be required a number of times during a press run, We have provided a device which obviates the necessity of stopping the press while the ink or color is replenished.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device for loading the color holder which can be handled by one man and which can be readily refilled, inserted within the stencil and removed after the contents have been pouredinto the ink or color holder. In the fabric presses in use, the printing is done on relatively wide material and feeding of the color holder has been a problem because of the width of the fabric stencil and the inaccessibility of the interior portions of the color holder. A still further object of our invention is to provide a stop so that when the loader is positioned inside the stencil it can be held at proper position so that each of its ladles will be in alignment with the proper color compartment of the color holder. Other objects are to provide a wiping device so that excess color will not drip off the loader and mix with other colors in the holder; to provide a loader that can be positioned inside the stencil and supported in position ready for pouring without interfering with the operation of the press while a reserve loader is filled as the attendant of the press gets time; and to provide a holder and a loader both of which can be handled as units for quick insertion into the stencil of the press.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention and the invention is not to be confined to the precise structure shown in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, diagrammatically showing in side elevation, our improved color printing device as employed in a fabric printing press,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in end elevation of the part of the press shown in Figure 1,

Figures 3 and 4 are views in elevation showing the loader and the holder in the relative positions they would occupy in the press,

Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of one end of the loader showing the locating or guide means employed,

Figure 6 is a top plan view of one end of the loader enlarged to show the ladles,

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l'i of Figure 6 showing the construction of the loader,

Figure 8 is a top plan view of an enlarged section of the color holder or feeder showing the arrangement of the troughs or hoppers from which the color is allowed to flow through the stencil,

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 showing how the color may feed from the trough through the stencil in the printing operation,

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing a modified form of the invention in which a wiper is provided, and

Figure 11 is a plan view of another form of color holder that may be employed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and in particular to Figures 1 and 2, l5 indicates the frame of a printing press employing a cylinder roller over which is passed a fabric ll and beneath a stencil IS. The cylinder l6 and the stencil are synchronously driven by any suitable source of power transmitted through the driving belts l9, idler pulley 2B and sheave pulleys 2!, the latter of which engage the peripheral flange 22 of a stencil tautening and holding ring 23 which is prevented from having movement laterally of the press by the sheave rollers 24 journalled in the side frames l5 of the press through the medium of the shafts 25. Parts of the frame have been omitted for clarity, but the construction referred to is in general use and is well understood in the art.

The stencil I8 is made from fiber and cut to provide the stencil openings 26 of any desired shape. It is then connected at its ends to provide a cylinder and is inserted over the ring 23 which is expanded by manipulation of the bolt 21. In order to feed printing ink or color fluid through the openings of the stencil, we provide aholder consisting of a series of parallel troughs or receptacles 28 welded or otherwise secured in position between the side plates 29 and 36. The troughs are each constructed to provide end walls 3| and side Walls 32, the end walls at one side of the holder 33 being tapered toward the end walls 3i to form a small orifice at the bottom of each trough through which the-color can flow to pass through the openings 26 of the stencil l8 to print a. design on the fabric IT.

The fabric in web form is passing through the press and lengthwise thereof the first row of designs HA may be red, the second row of designs IlB may be blue, etc., across the fabric in any color arrangement desired and each receptacle of the color holder will holdits individual color. As the space inside the stencil is limited, any large reservoir of different colors is. impractical and we have provided a loader which is filled externally of the press and then inserted and positioned to be swung to empty its contents into the color holder. The loader comprises a series of ladles 35 secured by. any suitablemeans such as riveting or welding to a support bar 36, one end of which is provided with a. tilting handle 3'! so that the loader 34 may be swung to unloading position. The ladles 35 consist of four walls 38, the front one being shaped to provide a pouring spout 39.

When the color holder 33 needs replenishing, the loader 34 is positioned (see Figure 9) so that the wall 38 next the support bar 36v rests on an angle guide 49 which extends the entire length of the holder and is attached in any suitable manner to the upper edges of the individual color receptacles and side plate 29 thereof. The width of the average press is such that the weight of a loaded or filled loader 34 must be supported-as the loader is pushed through the stencil and we make use of the angle guide 40 to run the loader into position without jarring or spilling the coloring fluid contained therein which is of a viscous nature. When the loader is approximately in place it is lifted so that the inner end 4| of the support bar 36 can engage a guide sleeve 42 which is attached to the supporting eye piece 43 to guide the end 4| of the bar 36 into the eye piece 43 until an adjustable stop collar engages the eye piece to limit the inward movement of the loader, the collar 44 being adjustably positioned on the support bar 36 by a set screw 45.

When the loader has been stoppedinits inward movement, the outer or handle end of the same is lifted to place the bar 36 in the end of a pivoted arm 46 which is mounted on the frame of the machine, is similar to an arm (not shown) in which the eye piece 43 is formed, and presents a hooked end 41 in which the bar 36 is cradled.

At this point, and with the stop collar, against the eye, each ladle is in direct alignment with one loading receptacle and all of the red color loading ladles are in alignment with the red color dispensing. receptacles or troughs of the color holder and so on for each color used. Four or or ten different colors may thus be printed and the color feeder or holder can be readily supplied as required without danger of getting the various colors in the wrong compartmentso the color holder- The handle 31 on the end of the support bar 36 facilitates the tilting of the loader so that the spouts of each loader compartment or ladle 35 is brought adjacent the upper ed of the holder trough to discharge the color thereinto as shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.

The eye and hook arms being identically mounted in the opposite sides of the frame may be yieldably supported by tension springs 45.

The ends of the color holder 33 are provided with stud shafts 46 which are engaged and held in the side arms 41 pivoted to the frame as at 48 and carrying at their outer ends the adjustably loaded weight hooks 49 on which the weights 50 hang to adjust the pressure of the color holder on the inside of the stencil.

In the modification shown in Figure 10 a wiper 50A may be hinged as at 5| to the upper edge of the side plate 30 of the color holder and the plate portion 52 of the wiper extending the length of the color holder can be manipulated by the handle 53 to wipe the under edge of each ladle spout to prevent drippings which might become mixed and comingle with the individual colors in the holder. In this form of the invention the upper edge of the side plate 29 may be channelled to provide a guideway 55 or channel rail for the sliding support of the lower edge of the loader 34 as illustrated diagrammatically.

In Figure 11 is shown another form of color holder which may be employed and in which the side walls are slotted as at 6: to receive the panels or partitions 62 which may be used to divide the holder into any number of desired compartments 63 in which different colored ink may be held forfeeding through a bottom opening 64 into the stencil openings. The width of each compartment can be adjusted for instance to cover one, two, three or more rows of holes in the stencil so that on the printed fabric it is possible to have one row red, two or three rows blue depending upon the predominant color wanted and any variations desired in the different colors used by adjusting the partitions in the slots 6| to adjust the width of compartment.

While we have shown and described specific forms of our invention and referred to the same by different terms, it will be understood that the illustrations and terms used are but illustrative of the invention and are not to be considered limitations thereon other than as defined in the claims, but we claim as our invention all equivalents and modifications thereof.

What we claim is:

1. In a fabric color printing press, in combination, a pressure cylinder and stencil between which the fabric passes to receive an impression, a color holder presenting a plurality of compartments for difierent colors extending laterally of the press interiorly of the stencil and in contact therewith, a loader adjacent the holder and presenting ladles, one for each of the holder compartments, said loader being pivotally mounted whereby it can be tilted to pour the colors from the ladles into the respective compartments of the holder.

2. In a fabric color printing press, in combination, a pressure cylinder and stencil between which the fabric passes to receive an impression, a color holder presenting color compartments in contact with the stencil to supply color printing fluidto the openings in the stencil, a color loading device presenting compartments arranged in ad'- jacent relation to said holder and removable from the press for filling, and means forpositioning the loader so that each compartment thereof will be aligned with the respective color compartment of the holder whereby the colors in the color holder can be replenished Without stopping the press.

3; In a fabric printing press, in combination a stencil and pressure cylinder between which the fabric passes to receive a printed impression, a color holder presenting different color compartments extending through the stencil to feed the colors through the openings in the stencil, a color loader presenting compartments, the loader being removable from the machine for filling and presenting color compartments to match the compartments of the color holder, means for supporting the loader whereby the same may be tilted to spill its contents into the holder, and adjustable means for positioning the loader with respect to the holder so that the color compartments will be in proper alignment.

4. In a fabric printing press, in combination, a stencil and pressure cylinder between which the fabric passes to receive a printed impression, a color holder extending through and in contact with the stencil to feed color printing fluid through the stencil openings, said holder presenting open bottomed troughs for holding different colors, means for applying pressure to the holder, a color loader having a compartment to match each trough of the holder, a guide on the holder for supporting the loader as it is slid into the stencil, and means for pivotally mounting the loader adjacent the holder so that each compartment may be unloaded into its respective trough in the holder.

5. In a fabric printing press, in combination, a stencil and pressure cylinder between which the fabric passes to receive a printed impression, a color holder presenting difierent color compartments mounted inside the stencil to supply printing fluid to the openings in the stencil a color loader arranged to be filled as required and inserted into the stencil and presenting compartments for color to match the color compartments of the holder, supporting means for holding the loader adjacent the color holder including a guide sleeve and stop so that the loader can be positioned to align the compartments of the holder and loader.

6. In a fabric printing press of the character referred to in claim 5, the stop being adjustable and said color loader having a bar along which said stop is movable for adjustment.

'7. In a fabric printing press of the character set forth, a holder for different colors of printing fluid, a loader for different colors of printing fluid, the loader being removable from the press for refilling, means for supporting the loader adjacent the color holder whereby said loader may be tilted to spill its contents into said holder,

and a wiper on the holder for engaging the loader to rub excess fluid therefrom after a spilling operation.

GEORGE DARENBERG. DONALD SHEA. 

